Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to buildings and more specifically to an insulation system for portable buildings, which prevents the gradual migration of insulation materials down a slope of the portable building roof and walls.
Discussion of the Prior Art
It appears that the prior art does not teach or suggest a method of pulling a sheet of flexible material. U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,624 to Cadwallader et al. discloses a protective covering for orchards. U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,819 to Wemyss discloses a method and apparatus for anchoring sheet material to a framework.
Portable buildings, also known as temporary buildings, are a relatively new type of structure made from supporting structural frames with a strong, flexible fabric material pre-fabricated to be installed over the exterior of the structural framework to provide a weather proof exterior skin. The portable buildings are generally designed for short-term use of a few years, however there is a growing tendency to continue to use these structures for longer periods of time of many years. The uses of the portable buildings has also expanded to more sophisticated uses such as manufacturing, arenas, sports facilities, etc. The portable buildings are engineered, manufactured and sold as prefabricated kits of components for erecting structures. Some manufacturers have also designed inner fabric ceiling for aesthetics and heat conservation, however there has not been a good reliable system of achieving higher thermal resistance with affordable insulation.
One problem with insulating the portable buildings is that generally the structural systems and the flexible fabrics employed are subject to significant movement due to the nature of the materials used and the limited purposes for which the buildings are initially intended. The movement is primarily from wind forces on the portable buildings. Other movement is the deflection of flexible fabric materials used for the exterior covers and the interior aesthetic ceilings. The portable building requires that sufficient slopes be designed into the exterior coverings to repel rain water and potentially snow accumulation. The problems of insulating portable buildings is that the weight of the traditional insulation material required to achieve minimum energy conservation code compliance causes excessive deflection in the flexible materials without a structural design to control the deflection within desirable limits. The movement of the portable buildings with their rather significant roof slopes, due to wind forces, causes the entire building to shake and move sufficiently that insulation materials placed on the aesthetic flexible fabric ceiling systems tend slide down the slope, thus resulting in gaps in the insulation. Shifting insulation down the slopes also results accumulation of excess weight down-slope, which increases the deflection of the aesthetic flexible fabric ceiling materials. In some designs, such as arched portable buildings, there are no walls as the roof arch terminates at the floor level or on an elevated foundation.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for an insulation system for portable buildings, which limits deflection to acceptable levels and also prevents the gradual migration of insulation materials down a slope of the portable building roof and walls.